Remove the oil filter first to allow it to drain into the oil pan

Performance Gain:

Extend engine life

Complementary Modification:

Check all fluid levels

You've probably heard it before and yes, oil is the life blood of your engine. Oil has long polymer chains that fill the gap between your piston rings and bearing surfaces to protect between metal on metal contact. Oil can undergo thermal breakdown from engine heat and mechanical breakdown while protecting vital engine parts.

There are three types of oil you can
put in your engine. One is mineral based oil (conventional) oil and should
be changed every 2500 to 3000 miles. You can also get a semi-synthetic blend
that you can leave in your engine slightly longer. Finally you can put in a
full synthetic oil that I change every 5000 to 7500 miles but manufactures
tell you that you can leave this oil in for 10,000 to 15,000 miles. All
engines burn some motor oil during normal use so the level should be checked
as the mileage interval goes up. Oil viscosity is also important. Multi
weight oils have two ratings. The first number is the viscosity or thickness
of the oil at room temperature. The second number is the oils viscosity or
thickness at a higher temperature. The higher the number the thicker the
viscosity, so when you see 10W-40 the oil flows like a 10 weight motor oil
when it is cold and a 40 weight motor oil when it is hot. 5W-30 would be a
thinner motor oil which is good for colder climates and can get the motor
oil circulating faster on cold days. 20W-50 is a thicker motor oil and will
take longer to flow through the engine on a cold start but is betting as
withstanding the higher temperatures on hot summer days while your engine
runs at 180° to over 200° Fahrenheit. Most of us drive in what manufacturers
consider is "severe service" which involves stop and go driving and
excessive idling. This reduces the life of the engine oil so it should be
changed more frequently. As the oil circulates it passes through a filter.
Mercedes Benz uses a cartridge type filter that fits in a housing on the 119
V8 engine. This needs to get replaced every time you change the engine oil.
In this tech article we will go over the steps to properly change your
engine oil and filter.

Conventional (mineral-based) oil 2500 to 3000 miles, semi-synthetic approximately 4000 miles and full synthetic 5000 to 7500 miles (up 10,000 to 15,000 at your peril)

In order to change your engine oil you will need to jack up and support the front axle of the car. See our tech article on jacking up and supporting your vehicle.

PLEASE NOTE: This article does NOT apply to the 16 valve 1999 SL500.

Figure 1

We recommend you start at the oil filter housing. Working on the right side of the engine in front of the exhaust manifold you will see the oil filter housing cap. Remove the 13 mm oil housing cap fastener.

Use a pick to remove the Â"OÂ"-ring on the oil filter housing and replace it with a new one. Installation is the reverse of the removal steps. Fit a new crush washer on the oil drain plug and install the drain plug in the drain pan being careful not to over-tighten or strip it. Install a new oil filter with a metal loop facing upward. Fit the oil filter housing cap and the long bolt used to fasten it. Tighten down the oil filter housing cover. Fill your engine with the proper amount of oil. Check fuel oil level with that the dipstick tube after you take the car off of the jack stands. Start your engine and let it run for 5 minutes then shut off the car and let it sit for 5 minutes. Recheck your oil level.